Incumbency is a monumental obstacle to overcome for any political challenger.

But 11 congressional challengers have managed to raise more money — an average of about $613,200 — than their incumbent rivals, a Center for Responsive Politics analysis finds.

Normally, incumbents in Congress have an enormous financial advantage over their challengers. This is one of the reasons why congressmen’s re-elections rates are so high. During the 2010 election cycle, on average, incumbents in the U.S. House of Representatives have enjoyed a fund-raising advantage of $897,100 more than their challengers.

Of those 11 challengers out-fund-raising rival incumbents, nine of them are Republicans. Only two Democrats raised more money than their rival Republican incumbent.

The imbalance between Republican and Democratic challengers who are out-raising incumbents may foreshadow a broader change in political currents.

“The activist base of the Republican party is charged up and ready to go, as witness the fund-raising numbers,” William F. Connelly, a professor of politics at Washington and Lee University, told OpenSecrets Blog in July. “In midterm elections, the out party often has the advantage of a more excited party base, especially under conditions of a united party government such as we have today.”

Here is a table outlining the challengers who have defied the odds and out-raised the incumbents they are seeking to oust, including the date of their last campaign finance filings.

District

Name

Total Raised

Cash on Hand

Last Report

Difference

OH13

Tom Ganley (R)

$3,700,727

$2,691,051

6/30/2010

$2,770,417

Rep. Betty Sue Sutton (D)

$930,310

$593,409

6/30/2010

FL22

Allen B. West (R)

$4,008,983

$2,247,903

8/4/2010

$1,494,676

Rep. Ron Klein (D)

$2,514,307

$2,841,166

8/4/2010

NY01

Randy Altschuler (R)

$2,889,846

$1,301,426

8/25/2010

$1,003,546

Rep. Timothy H. Bishop (D)

$1,886,300

$1,538,999

8/25/2010

OH09

Rich Iott (R)

$877,067

$324,091

6/30/2010

$563,938

Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D)

$313,129

$1,044,931

6/30/2010

CA03

Ami Bera (D)

$1,629,726

$1,140,083

6/30/2010

$409,671

Rep. Dan Lungren (R)

$1,220,055

$802,367

6/30/2010

PA12

Tim Burns (R)

$1,667,796

$163,492

6/30/2010

$178,287

Rep. Mark Critz (D)

$1,489,509

$166,356

6/30/2010

CA11

David Jeffrey Harmer (R)

$1,815,523

$233,046

6/30/2010

$117,641

Rep. Jerry McNerney (D)

$1,697,882

$1,246,577

6/30/2010

NY19

Nan Hayworth (R)

$1,368,971

$562,555

8/25/2010

$111,995

Rep. John Hall (D)

$1,256,976

$504,100

6/30/2010

NM02

Steve Pearce (R)

$1,562,432

$1,023,576

6/30/2010

$48,890

Rep. Harry Teague (D)

$1,513,542

$1,169,463

6/30/2010

HI01

Colleen Hanabusa (D)

$1,718,762

$404,912

8/29/2010

$35,907

Rep. Charles Djou (R)

$1,682,855

$427,637

8/29/2010

OH16

James B. Renacci (R)

$1,383,840

$662,612

6/30/2010

$10,350

Rep. John A. Boccieri (D)

$1,373,490

$1,060,563

6/30/2010

Both the Democratic and Republican parties run programs to help financial assistant — and protect — vulnerable incumbents. They also run programs to help top-tier challengers oust incumbents of the opposite party.

The National Republican Congressional Committee’s program for challengers is known as the “Young Gun” progam. Allen West, Randy Alschuler, David Harmer, Nan Hayworth, Steve Pearce and James Renacci are all part of this program.

Ami Bera and Colleen Hanabusa are both part of the DCCC’s “Red to Blue” program for challenger financial support. Meanwhile, their opponents, Reps. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.) and Charles Djou (R-Hawaii), are both part of the NRCC’s “Patriot Program” to support vulnerable Republican incumbents.

The best-funded Democrat on this list is California 3rd Congressional District candidate Ami Bera. As of the end of June, the most recent period that has been reported to the Federal Election Commission, Bera has raised more than $1.6 million in the 2010 election cycle, and has $1.1 million cash on hand — about $337,700 more than Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.). In this Republican-leaning district, Lungren won his current seat in 2008 by a narrow margin.

“Our fund-raising numbers demonstrate the broad base of support Dr. Bera is gaining in northern California,” Lucinda Guinn, Bera’s campaign manager told OpenSecrets Blog in July. “Not only did we out-fundraise Dan Lungren for five consecutive quarters, but we’ve done so with the support of thousands of local residents.”

To date, Lungren trails Bera, an Indian-American, in small donations from individuals. Small donations from Indian-Americans across the country have poured into Bera’s campaign chest, helping his donation numbers.

Lungren’s staff did not return requests for comment.

The other Democrat, Colleen Hanabusa, is currently the president of the state senate in Hawaii. In May, she finished second in a special election, behind Honolulu Republican City Council member Charles Djou, to fill the vacancy in Hawaii’s 1st Congressional District, created when Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) retired from the House to run for governor. During that election, she split the Democratic vote with another candidate, Ed Case, and Djou emerged as the victor with 40 percent of the vote. That contest saw a combination of 14 Democrats, Republicans and independents vying for the seat, and the winner needed only a plurality of the vote, not a majority, to prevail. During the 2008 presidential election, the district’s voters backed Barack Obama by 42 percentage points, although four years earlier Democrat John Kerry only carried the district by six percentage points against Republican George W. Bush. Hanabusa reported raising $35,900 more than Djou as of Aug. 29, the date of the most recent campaign finance reports. At that time, she had about $405,000 cash on hand compared to the $427,600 reported by Djou. The Cook Political Report currently ranks the seat as a toss up, meaning either Hanabusa or Djou could be victorious in November.

Republican Tom Ganley is the House challenger with the largest fund-raising cash advantage over an incumbent in the nation. At the end of June, Ganley had raised $2.7 million more than Rep. Betty Sue Sutton (D-Ohio). Ganley is a largely self-funded candidate, having put more than $3.4 million of his own funds into his campaign. The Cook Political Report rates the race as leaning Democratic, giving Sutton some reassurance despite her fund-raising disadvantage.

“We are quite confident that we have the resources we need to get the truth out about the congresswomen’s record. The congresswoman has taken on multi-million dollar campaigns before,” Julie Sweets, Sutton’s campaign manager, told OpenSecrets Blog in July.

Allen West, a Republican candidate challenging Rep. Ron Klein (D-Fla.) in the state’s 22nd Congressional District, is the next House challenger with the largest fund-raising advantage over an incumbent.

West has raised about $1.5 million more than Klein through Aug. 4, the date of the most recent campaign finance reports. West has gained national media attention for his strong fund-raising and unique status as a black, Tea Party-backed Republican candidate for Congress.

“We have out raised Klein in the last three quarters,” Josh Grodin told OpenSecrets Blog in July. “What it shows that the American people and South Floridians are fed up with the status quo and are looking for leadership in Washington.”

The Klein campaign, however, downplayed Klein’s fund-raising figures.

“Congressman Ron Klein holds a significant cash on hand advantage in the race for Florida’s 22nd Congressional District, reporting $2.9 million through the end of the second quarter. Klein raised $511,150 in the last three months, spurred by support from Democrats, Republicans and Independents,” the Klein campaign said in a statement to OpenSecrets Blog in July. “These are challenging times in Florida and around our country but this is no time to reverse course, and go back on the progress we are making.”

Randy Altschuler is the next House challenger to report more cash than his opponent. Altschuler has raised about $2.9 million during the 2010 election cycle, as of Aug. 25, the date of the most recent campaign finance filing. That’s $1 million more than his incumbent rival, Rep. Timothy Bishop (D-N.Y). Altschuler has invested more than $2 million of his own funds in the campaign.

“Our campaign is encouraged by the strong grassroots fund-raising base that we have been able to establish. Altschuler got in the race when the wind was in the face of national republicans shortly after President Obama was inaugurated,” Altschuler’s campaign manager, Chris Maloney, told OpenSecrets Blog in July. “We have prided ourselves in building a strong grassroots fundraising base since then.”

Bishop’s press secretary scoffed at the notion that Altschuler’s campaign warchest is impressive.

“Randy Altschuler didn’t raise more than us. He is a millionaire who earned his fortune by outsourcing American jobs, and he dipped into his own deep pockets to fill his campaign coffers,” Bishop spokeswoman Audrey Kubetin said in July. “Tim Bishop raised his money from the hardworking people he represents. These middle-class families gave what they could to his campaign because he shares their roots and they know they can trust him to look out for their interests in Washington. Randy Altschuler doesn’t have much in common with the people he wants to represent, and he doesn’t have their trust. That’s why he has to fund his own campaign.”

Nan Hayworth, a reitred ophthalmologist from New York, has reported about $112,000 more than Rep. John Hall (D-N.Y.) in New York’s 19th Congressional District for the 2010 election cycle. As of Aug. 25, the date of the campaign’s most recent fund-raising reports, Hayworth herself has invested more than $500,000 of her own money into the race.

“We are very encouraged by Hayworth’s fund-raising numbers,” John Hicks, Hayworth’s campaign manager, told OpenSecrets Blog in July. “It means that people are responding to Hayworth in a positive way.”

Hayworth has been endorsed by GOP leaders and has the support of the Conservative Party, as well. Hall, a former vocalist for the rock group Orleans, is seeking a third term representing the Hudson Valley.

Hall’s campaign took issue with the amount of money that Hayworth has invested in her own campaign.

“Our democracy is weakened by candidates who spend millions of their own dollars trying to buy elections and then force their radical ideas on people like letting corporate polluters like BP off the hook — sticking taxpayers with the bill,” Patrick McGarrity, Hall’s campaign manager, told OpenSecrets Blog in July.

Another notable race is in Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District, where incumbent Rep. Mark Critz (D-Pa.) and Republican Tim Burns are battling each other again. In May, Critz defeated Burns in a special election to replace the late Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.).

Including the money that both raised and spent during the May special election, Burns has raised $170,000 more than Critz. Burns has reported raising nearly $1.7 million during the 2010 election cycle versus Critz’s nearly $1.5 million, as of June 30, the date of the most recent campaign finance filings.

Four other Republican challengers have reported raising more money than rival incumbents as of the most recent campaign finance reports.

In Ohio’s 9th Congressional District, businessman Rich Iott is challenging incumbent Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio). At the end of June, the date of the most recent campaign finance reports, Iott had raised about $564,000 more than Kaptur. This edge comes thanks to Iott investing more than $823,000 of his personal funds into the race. Despite this, Kaptur still reported a cash on hand advantage at the end of June. Her war chest still had $1.04 million in reserves, while Iott had just $324,000. The Cook Political Report ranks the race as safely in the Democratic column.

In California’s 11th Congressional District, Republican businessman and attorney David Harmer out-raised incumbent Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.) by $117,600, as of June 30, the date of the most recent campaign finance reports for this race. About 90 percent of Harmer’s donations have come from individuals, and about 9 percent have come from political action committees. Through June 30, he raised $1.8 million — but he also burned through most of this cash. He ended the reporting period with $233,000 cash on hand after winning a four-way Republican primary in June. McNerney, meanwhile, ended the second quarter with more than $1 2 million cash on hand. Obama carried the district in 2008 by about 9 percentage points, although Bush won the district four years earlier by the same margin. The Cook Political Report ranks the race as a toss up, with either Harmer or McNerney having a good chance of prevailing.

Lastly, in Ohio’s 16th Congressional District, James Renacci, an entrepreneur and former small-town mayor, reported raising $10,350 more than incumbent freshman Rep. John Boccieri (D-Ohio) at the end of the second quarter. Renacci reported raising $1.38 million as of June 30, the date of the most recent campaign finance filings, versus the $1.37 million reported by Boccieri. Boccieri won 55 percent of the vote in 2008, although the district’s voters went for Republican John McCain over Obama in the presidential contest by about three percentage points. Four years earlier, the district’s voters also backed Bush — by 8 percentage points. At the end of June, Renacci faced a cash on hand deficit, reporting $662,600 in the bank versus Boccieri’s $1.06 million.

Third-quarter campaign finance reports for all candidates will be submitted to the Federal Election Commission on Oct. 15. The final information voters will officially get from campaigns about their contributions will come on Oct. 21, as campaigns file “pre-general” reports detailing donations received between Oct. 1 and Oct. 13.

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